Your
personality vs. your business
One of the most
important personality traits is to be friendly. Running a small
business is all about making your customers feel special. Customer
service is why a person will visit your store, and will be happy about it.
If you pamper your customers, they will come to you, their caring
neighbor, and will prefer to pay you for services rather than giving their hard-earned dollars to one of the
larger faceless corporate stores like The Wal-Mart Business Center, or
Office Max.
Nothing makes a
customer feel more special than knowing his
name, being kind to him, and knowing at least a few details about his family.
Superior customer
service, a positive outlook, necessary skills, confidence, energy, drive, and a friendly
demeanor will be your best assets.
Do I need to
know how to type or be good with computers?
The entire shipping industry is run by computers, so understanding
what "right click", "tab", "minimize", and other computer terms mean
are pretty much a must (or you should at least be willing to learn!), as is
typing ability. If you are not computer savvy, you may want to
at least take a computer class at a local community college or
purchase a typing tutorial program at Staples or another office supply
store. Generally, the faster you can type, the faster you can
process shipping labels, which equal money in your pocket.
(That's a great incentive to learn to type, right?!)
Do I need good
credit?
No, but it obviously helps. Borrowing money for equipment is
obviously easier if you have good credit.
As part of our commitment to your success, we will help in any way we
can. If you are looking to finance your business through a loan
you will definitely need good credit.
Can I get funding?
As it's a fairly small investment most franchisees never seek
traditional funding, but it can be arranged if necessary if you have
good credit.
The best rates are
always available on secured financing products such as home equity
lines but you have to decide how much risk you are willing accept.
Currently, with the
credit tightening that has happened in the economy, traditional
financing is VERY difficult to come by. The most recent
statistics are that 90% of financing is privately held, whether its
home equity lines, loans from friends and relatives, or financed
through a 401k.
Do you have a business plan that I can use?
Yes. Our business plan is available to franchisees
that have already signed a franchise agreement and submitted a
franchise fee. We cannot provide it before you are franchisee as
it contains sales figures which may influence your decision to join our chain.
We want you to make that decision yourself and then be happily
surprised.
Accessing my IRA or 401k?
How does that work?
There are multiple companies and financial planners that will set up your new corporation, and a new retirement
account within the new corporation, and then roll over your old
retirement account into the new account. Then your retirement
account purchases stock in the new company as an investment, just as
it would purchase stock in GE or Wal-Mart as an investment. The
money paid to purchase the stock from the new company is then
available to the new company for everything from your franchise fee to
buying equipment and paying rent. We aren't in the business of
helping people to access their 401Ks or IRAs, but if you have specific
questions about the necessary steps and the process, we can direct you
to financial professionals who can answer those questions for you.
Credit Cards, etc.
Most people have several credit cards available to them which can also
be used for just about everything involved in opening your store.
Goin' Postal is the only franchise that has arranged to be able to
accept your franchise fee via credit card, and we can also charge your
Point of Sale System to your credit card. We
don't recommend using your credit card for is cash advances, as these
carry a much higher interest rate.
Ready to move
forward?
Contact call 1-800-504-6040 or download our Franchise Disclosure
Document?
How much money
should I have set aside?
We recommend setting aside approximately 6 months' worth of BOTH living
expenses (this will vary according to your particular lifestyle,
family, region, etc. so we cannot offer a ballpark figure) AND 6
months' worth of operating expenses (again, this will vary due to your
particular area and your specific needs) combined. If you set
aside 6 month's worth of total expenses, then you can relax a bit and
can enjoy owning your own business rather than worrying about those
expenses. To figure out what you really need you have look
inside yourself and be realistic. Are you willing to share a
car, eat cheap, and put off all extra personal expenses until your
store is profitable, or do you want to keep the lifestyle you're
accustomed to regardless of building a business? The difference
can be tens of thousands of dollars in your cushion and success or
failure of your new business.
When should I
open my store?
Obviously, in most parts of the country, Christmas is the busiest time
of the year for a shipping store, so the closer you open to Christmas,
the quicker you will potentially become busy. However, the earlier you
open in the year, the longer you will have to become established, to
advertise and to become involved in your community's events, and to
become
proficient with the software and in the business in general.
Generally most stores see a 3x to 4x increase in their average
business during the holiday season. With this in mind, obviously
the longer you are open and gaining new customers the better your
holiday season will be.
Seasonality of your location should also
be taken into consideration. For example, if your town is busy in the
summer months, you should consider opening a couple of months before
the season begins.
How long does
it take to open my store?
About a month to six weeks. From day one of obtaining permits
and licenses, to you being in business with your doors open, the
entire process should take less than a eight weeks.
Your initial groundwork will be to find a location. As it takes
approximately 8 weeks to open your store, training will be booked on a
first come, first served basis as the deposits and contracts are
received at our headquarters. Turn-keys generally take about a
month longer than a standard store as we have to have fixtures and
other items manufactured for your store.
Where should my
store be?
We will help with this based on your initial scouting of your chosen
business area. The benefit of a high traffic and high visibility
location must be traded off against high rent payments, unless you have
a
large amount of back-up cash available at the time of opening to carry
you through until the business becomes established.
Obviously, a
fantastic location is a marvelous way to start off, but the strain of
$5,000 or more per month in rent could finish your business off before
it has a chance to become self-supporting. We want every
Goin' Postal franchisee whom we
help to be a success and we want your business to cause you as few sleepless nights as
possible!
You should also
consider parking availability, the types of other businesses around
prospective locations and if they would feed your shipping store or
detract from it (such as a seedy neighborhood wouldn’t
encourage foot traffic), and how close your prospective locations are
to competitors and to post offices.
What size and
type of building should I be looking for?
While you can open your store in approximately 600 square feet if that’s all
that is available, we have determined that approximately 900 to 1200
square feet is optimal. If you are planning on selling other services
such as office supplies, or plan to have a bank of computers for
public internet access, you will need to adjust the store size needed accordingly.
Through not
completely necessary, rear access is a positive aspect of any
building, especially if it has a loading dock, as this will make pick-ups and drop-offs by
FedEx and freight companies much easier and
in some cases, a lot cheaper.
Ample parking is
essential. No one wants to walk 500 yards to your store with an
armful of packages and this could make or break your business. We
have found having 5-6 parking spaces in front of the store, with one
being handicapped accessible, is quite sufficient.
How much should
I anticipate spending to open my store?
Our current franchise fee is $15,000, the cost of two POS systems is
$7,500, and your MMP (Minimum Merchandise Purchase) is $1,784. Your additional investment
will be between *$24,500 and $72,000 (for equipment, rent, etc.), making your entire investment
between $48,784 and $96,284. (*Amounts for rent and other expenses will vary from
region to region and may be higher or lower in YOUR particular area of
the country.) These numbers are based on actual results from
franchisees opening their stores.
Doing the work yourselves vs. a contractor can make a huge difference
in expenses, and that's why we recommend you do it yourself.....
The majority of
your investment can be financed either through loans or credit cards,
as most of it will go toward construction and equipment. Bear in mind,
however, when deciding whether to invest cash or to put expenses on a credit
card, that $20,000 on your credit cards will give you a hefty bill to
pay at the end of each month.
Can I buy used
Point of Sale Systems to save a bit of money?
Unfortunately, Intuit's policy is that QuickBooks Point of Sale
licenses cannot be transferred UNLESS you are purchasing the software
as part of an existing business. Another reason is part of the
income from selling Point of Sale Systems goes toward the continuing
development of our GP Rate Pro software. The final problem is
that it takes us longer to reset a Point of Sale System than to build
a new one, and that reset one will be older slower technology that
will come with more problems as it gets past its sensible life
expectancy.
Can
my royalty structure change once I'm a franchisee?
No, when you become a franchisee, you are signing for your royalties
as specified in your Franchise Agreement for the term that you own your store and the royalties that are
current in the Franchise Agreement you sign are what you will pay.
Bear in mind that the 5% per year increase in your royalties for the
term of the franchise agreement is offset by the rise in prices of
services you will sell in your store.
Ready to move
forward?
Contact call 1-800-504-6040 or download our Franchise Disclosure
Document?
Do you tell me where to put my
store?
No, we let you decide, as it's your business. You know your town better
than we do, but we are happy to help you choose between several
locations if you are in a quandary. Important details are: location,
square footage, rent, number of parking spaces, traffic access to
store and parking
(from both sides of the street versus one side of a divided highway,
etc.), presence or absence of a loading dock, is there both rear and
front entry to the store (rear entry is nice for your carriers, as
packages can come in the front with the customers and can be loaded
onto the carriers' trucks out the back), nearby businesses, building
condition, etc. When looking at traffic patterns don't just
evaluate how many cars go through a particular intersection. Sit
in the parking lot with a good book for several hours at different
times of the day on different days of the week and WATCH where the
customers are going. You don't want to select a plaza where
patrons park, go to one establishment and leave. You want to
select a spot where customers patronize a number of shops prior to
departing from the area.
How is the investment to have my Goin' Postal
store broken down?
You will pay Goin' Postal Franchise Corporation $24,248 for the
combination of Franchise Fee and equipment as broken down in the
Franchise Agreement.
The
remainder of your investment is not paid to Goin' Postal (except
for some travel expenses for our rep to come and visit your store for
opening)
and will vary
depending upon your needs (unless you purchase
the turn key option
in which case you make a single payment to us and we do everything). That is what we estimate that you can spend
on rent/lease/purchase of a location and equipment such as: peanuts,
hoppers, packing tables, shelving, product displays, merchandise to
sell, boxes, copiers, fax machines, laminating machines, etc. This
investment will vary from store to store depending upon your needs,
your budget and if you decide to lease, already own, borrow, or purchase used or
new equipment. For example: One of our potential franchisees already
owns his building and has nearly all of the required equipment except
for a
peanut hopper, peanuts and boxes, so he won't need to spend much at all
on equipment. Other franchisees may start from scratch and will spend
more on supplies, equipment, rent, etc. After we receive your
franchise fee (again, the franchise fee just $15,000) we give you a list of recommended and required equipment
and supplies. We do not fly to your location to buy you staples for
your stapler, boxes for your shelves, etc. It is your responsibility
to acquire the items on the list that we will provide for you PRIOR to
the representative arriving at your store. When our
representative is there he will spend as much time as possible
reviewing all of your training so it is important that the store be as
ready as possible when he arrives.
Again, the amount that you need to pay to Goin' Postal is only $15,000 for the
franchise fee and $7,500 for two Point of Sale systems, $1,784 for
required items from us such as signage, uniforms, label printers and
scales plus our representative's expenses to fly to and from
your location and to stay there for one week while he does refresher training
with you, helps you to put finishing touches on your store, helps you
at your grand opening, and helps you to serve your customers.
How do your
investments compare to other stores?
Source: Entrepreneur.com (figures provided by each franchisor
directly to Entrepreneur Magazine). We will try to keep
these numbers up to date but their prices may change without notice.
If you seen a figure that has changed please let us know and we will
get it updated. Our own figures are updated regularly to reflect
changing costs. Our figures are up to date and directly from our
FDD.
|
Total
Initial Investment |
|
|
|
Low |
High |
|
The UPS Store |
$171.,200 |
$280,000 |
|
Pak Mail |
$129,990 |
$164,300 |
|
PostNet |
$163,000 |
$193,000 |
|
Postal Connections |
$119,100 |
$157,900 |
|
Goin’ Postal |
$48,784* (standard low) |
$135,500 (Turn-Key high) |
|
Franchise
Fees |
|
|
|
|
|
The UPS Store |
$29,950* |
|
Pak Mail |
$28,900* |
|
PostNet |
$28,900* |
|
Postal Connections |
$22,500* |
|
Goin’ Postal |
$15,000* |
*Subsequent store franchise fees may be
discounted by each individual company. Check their FDD for
details. The amounts shown in the total Initial investment table
above include the initial franchise fee.
|
Royalties
and Ad Fees |
|
|
|
Royalty |
Ad Fund |
|
The UPS Store |
5% |
3.5% |
|
Pak Mail |
3-5% |
2% |
|
PostNet |
4% |
2% |
|
Postal Connections |
4% |
0% |
|
Goin’ Postal |
$330 per month* |
0% |
*Goin' Postal royalties do increase by
approximately 5% each year for the term of your franchise agreement
but so will the retail price of the products you are selling.
Why do you charge a flat fee for your
royalties?
The general practice in the franchise business arena is to charge a
monthly royalty based on your gross sales, so the more successful the
franchised location is, the more money the parent franchisor makes.
We don't think this philosophy is fair, and just because everyone else
charges more than necessary, that doesn't make it the right thing to do.
This will be YOUR business. The
harder you work, the more money YOU should make. If you have
to pay a royalty that is based on a percentage of your sales, however,
that means that the harder YOU work, the more money the franchisor
makes, and we just don't agree with that at all. At Goin'
Postal, we have a hard time understanding how some retail shipping
franchisors can justify taking fifty or sixty thousand dollars per
year in royalties and ad fund contributions in order to provide the
same services for their franchisees that we provide for our
franchisees.
We know what it costs us to support an
established
franchisee each month, and we have set our $330 monthly royalty slightly
above this amount (after all, we ARE a business...). This rate
increases annually at an average of around 5% to adjust for inflation.
By charging a flat rate royalty, we have also
streamlined the accounting process and have made substantial cost savings that can be
passed on to our franchisees. Now, instead of chasing franchisees who are late
in filing and paying their royalties each month (like most
franchisors do), Goin' Postal's flat rate royalty system is an
efficient automatic draft on the first business day
of the month. GPFC saves franchisees and the parent corporation
on both time and payroll
costs, and has the ability to
project accurate budgets with none of the work that is involved in a
percentage based system.
It also produces content franchisees.
A franchisee needs less and less support the longer they have been in
business. Unfortunately, the longer you have been in business
and the more successful your store, the more royalties you pay to a
percentage based franchisor. This unbalanced approach causes
resentment and creates franchisor/franchisee conflicts when
franchisees realize all their hard work is only lining the pockets of
their franchisor. Take a look at the financials of our 2nd
largest competitor. They paid almost $1.5 million to their
shareholders in a single year! That money came from the pockets
of a few hundred franchisees. Then if you look at our largest
competitor then have millions of shareholders to keep happy off the
back of their franchisees. Our system is much fairer for
everyone. We get paid well for what we do, and the franchisees
make more money for working hard.
Why should I pay
royalties at all?
The money to pay for support has to come from somewhere. While
the other large franchisors may take $4,000 a month out of your pocket, you
get very little for it. The $330 that a Goin' Postal franchisee pays
each month more than pays for itself when you look at the deep
discounts our franchisees receive from vendors, constant
stream of new profit centers we produce, the ongoing training, and
the exceptional support we provide. Each month, our average franchisee saves
hundreds of dollars just by asking for our advice (and taking it!) on different issues. If you think
that after 60% cost of goods sold, a
franchisee only has to sell an additional $9,000 worth of product a
year to cover their royalties, yet our franchisees more than double
the average sales of the industry as a whole, it's easy to see why
being part of Goin' Postal is much better for your wallet!
What about ad funds?
While national and local ad funds are very important for certain types
of businesses which need to create 'impulse buys', traditional
advertising doesn't work with this business. If McDonalds runs a
commercial advertising a Big Mac, you have to eat three times today
and there is a good chance they will convince you to go and buy a Big
Mac, or Best Buy shows you what a great deal they have on DVD's this
weekend, you may go and take a look and buy one. You cannot make
someone 'impulse buy' shipping. Someone has a package to ship or
they don't. People go to the shipping store they are comfortable
with so what we do actually gets people into your store and gets them
to learn your name. They might not be shipping a package today,
but when they do have one they will be back in your store.
Even when the ads are run only at
Christmas, most franchisors take ad fund contributions and the actual
franchisees never see much local benefit from them. If we
collected $15,000 from each franchisee this year and ran campaigns in
every market at Christmas with the money, most of our franchisees in
rural areas would receive less benefit from those funds, and that's
just not fair. The reason for this is the difference in both
station availability and differing costs among markets. To run a
TV ad on a large station in Los Angeles for instance, would cost far
more than running the same ad in Oneonta, Alabama and the ad in Los
Angeles will produce far more business for that franchisee, so why
should the Oneonta franchisee pay the same as the Los Angeles
franchisee? We say, he shouldn't.
Our goal is to leave the money in your
pocket, and let you decide what to do with it.
If you can promote yourself through community events and promotions
that cost very little, why spend tens of thousands of dollars on an
already saturated advertising medium such as a newspaper? If you
do want to do traditional advertising we produce the ad templates and
customized ads for you at our expense, and you decide where to run
them at your expense.
Another little secret the franchisor
community doesn't want you to know is ad funds
are very good for cash flow. If our competitors each collect
$1,000,000 a year in ad funds, those ad funds find their way into
general revenue available for the franchisor to use for whatever they
like until they decide to spend it on advertising. Our
competitors also use ad funds to sell franchises which we think is
completely wrong. Franchisors are in the business of selling
franchises and shouldn't be paying for their business off the back of
their franchisees.
Ready to move
forward?
Contact call 1-800-504-6040 or download our Franchise Disclosure
Document?
A $15,000 franchise fee? What do I get
for your $15,000 fee that I couldn’t do myself?
First of all, you get a much better chance of succeeding, which is
priceless. Approximately 90% of small businesses fail in the
first couple of years for a variety of reasons. A small fraction
of franchised small businesses suffer the same fate. The success
rate is much better due to the
training, support and the constant flow of new money-making and money-saving
ideas shared by the franchisor and the franchisee.
We can save you from the years of fumbling and growing pains, and
can teach you time-saving and sanity-saving techniques, give you forms
to use and procedures to follow that we
have developed by owning and operating our own shipping stores. We know what
it takes to run a successful shipping business from first-hand experience. We
hold your hand until you are comfortable with being a bit more independent
(and then we're just on the other end of the telephone or email,
should you need us!), and then you still benefit from
the growing public name recognition of the Goin’ Postal chain. For
the $15,000 franchise fee you get the knowledge to start business with the experience to make it a
success. You also get the license to our great name and corporate identity
which is rapidly gaining public recognition.
There is a lot to know! But you don’t have
to learn the shipping business the hard way. We make it easy. We’ll
teach you how to run the various types of software, how to calculate
shipping rates based on dimensions, weight, destination zip codes,
speed of travel required, insurance coverage desired and
carrier preference, common problems that may occur with customers or
carriers and how best to deal with them, how to get competitors to be
your best source of customers, bookkeeping, setting up accounts for
your customers, advertising tips, ways to cultivate business that will
feed your shipping store, and much, much more. During your week
in Florida, you will spend around 40 hours between taking various
classes in the classroom, taking competency exams, and doing hands-on training
(under our supervision and constant direction) to test your knowledge
and to hone your skills in preparation for serving your customers.
As part of a chain like Goin' Postal you
also benefit from the constant flow of great ideas we receive from our
franchisees.
Also, a big reason for buying a franchise
is not being a mom and pop store as these are the main target of big
businesses. When Wal-Mart comes to town it doesn't make more
people buy clothes, it takes the market away from the local clothing
retailer. The same goes for tax franchises, tire shops, pharmacies,
shipping stores, and other 'on-demand' businesses. The small
independent store owner cannot compete with the prices, appearance,
standardized service, or organized system that big chains bring with
them.
The most obvious reason to pay a
$15,000 franchise fee...
We know what works, and more importantly, what doesn't work. If
you follow our system and listen to us, you WILL save $15,000 in your
first 12 months on advertising and other purchases that don't work!
We are smart business people, but even we had to figure certain things
out the hard way, but you won't have to. After the first year
with us, you would have invested less money in your store than if you
hadn't purchased a franchise!
Why is Goin' Postal so much LESS expensive
than other shipping franchises?
The primary reason for our low cost is that we spent years on end
working hard for other people . We knew that we were smart and
hard-working, and we knew we could find a better way to make a decent
living and to enjoy our lives again. We created Goin' Postal,
and when we saw how well we were doing with our first store, we
decided that we needed to start franchising so that we could teach
"regular people" like us how to be financially independent.
Everyone deserves a shot at the "American Dream" if they are willing
to work for it so we knew we had to keep the initial investment low.
We have also studied the market and any shipping and packaging store,
whether it's a major chain shipping store or an independent
mom-and-pop store,
has about the same resale price which is based on sales, not the name. Generally, resale prices for
successful stores
are around an average of $140k. Why would you spend upwards of
$200,000 or more on business that will probably always be worth less than
you invested? With a $200,000 franchise, you are just buying a very
expensive job at for the ultimate benefit of the franchisor and parent
company. Our opinion is that our way is better. At Goin'
Postal, we show you how to set up and operate your shipping store for the
smallest investment possible, and after the first year you should be in the black
with a business that is worth far more than you invested to set it up.
We save you the most money by having you
go directly to the source for most of your materials and supplies.
Instead of us selling you boxes that are marked up 100% before you get
your hands on them, you go directly to our suppliers and order them at
the same price we would pay. Instead of buying an overpriced
copier or fax machine from us, you go directly to our supplier and
guess what, pay the same price we do! Generally, well over half
of what you ever spend to set up a franchise goes directly into the
franchisors pocket in one way or another UNLESS you are buying a Goin'
Postal.
Also, by keeping our initial investment
low, we have ABSOLUTELY no competition and are expanding rapidly. We are
continually signing up new franchisees that were already in
negotiations with the other large shipping chains,
and then
they discovered Goin' Postal. .
We don't use franchise brokers. We
advertise our franchises online and through word of mouth. If a
franchisor pays a broker $15,000 for pushing you into their franchise,
that money has to come from somewhere, and it's coming out of your
pocket. We let our franchisees success sell our franchises.
Also, as we charge far less than other franchisors, those exact same
brokers will never sell a Goin' Postal franchise if they have the
opportunity to sell a far more expensive franchise. If they can
get a third of $30,000 or a third of $15,000 for the same amount of
work, where will they direct your wallet? We actually received a
call from a broker recently who said that he would like to introduce
his friend as a potential franchisee as he wanted what was best for
him, but that he would never have called us if it was a regular
customer since
he'd make far more money by selling him a franchise other than Goin'
Postal. At least
he was honest! That franchisee is now one of our happiest, most
successful store owners!
We also keep our own corporate overhead
down. If we don't spend it, we don't have to collect it from our
franchisees. A perfect example of this is the work ethic of our
staff. Instead of purchasing a large, flashy office building, we
purchased an older, run-down office building, and the entire staff
worked late nights after regular work (for nothing but pizza and beer)
to get it cleaned, painted and renovated. By saving close to a
quarter of a million dollars on our headquarters we could do more for
our franchisees while lowering their investment too.
It sounds like I need to be far more motivated to do a lot of the work
myself to get open for the low end of the investment range.
True. If you want to get a store open for around $48,784 and you
want it to look like a competitor's $200,000 store, it's going to take some effort
on your part using our help and advice.
Instead of sitting back and waiting for someone to hand you the keys
to your new store, you'll be setting up your store with our direction,
guidance, and assistance.
We figure that if it takes you 6 weeks to do this and you save
yourself $150,000 dollars in the process, then
it's as good as paying yourself $100,000 a month! Also, we
encourage our store owners to be self-motivated go-getters, as folks
who embrace new experiences with gusto and who expend some elbow
grease to attain their goals are the ones who are far more likely to
succeed.
You are of course welcome to use our turn-key option
and will get an industry leading store in a fraction of the time for a
fraction of the price of our competitors. Based on availability of locations we could get
your turn-key store
open between one and three months!
What if I'm too busy with my other
businesses, my job, or am otherwise unable to do the work myself?
We are now offering our turn-key solution in which takes care of
everything from start to finish, so you CAN just walk into your store
and be handed the keys. This is a super alternative for those
people who already own businesses and who can't spare time to do their
own build-out on a new store. Call us for details.
Ready to move
forward?
Contact call 1-800-504-6040 or download our Franchise Disclosure
Document?
It sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?
We hear that all the time...and there is no catch! Really!
It's
a simple equation: your hard work = money in your pocket. Make
no mistake...Goin' Postal is not a
get-rich quick scheme, it's a business. You will definitely have
to expend some serious elbow grease, study the materials that we
provide for you, participate in training, read our continuing
education notices and utilize our refresher exams and the Operations
Manual, follow our guidelines and rules, get involved in your
community, advertise, sparkle as you serve your customers, and yes,
you will surely work harder than you ever have before...but the income
that you will earn for yourself and your family will be all the more
meaningful because it will be generated by your hard work in YOUR
business. Just call or visit any of our existing franchisees and
they'll tell you straight-up that they too thought Goin' Postal must
be too good to be true...but then they visited us in Florida (just to
make sure that we were real people with a real company!), they
contacted our franchisees, they've been in business as Goin' Postal
store owners for some time now, and they are very happy with the way
that we do business, the way that their stores are performing, and the
support and encouragement that we provide for them. Seeing is
believing, so we encourage you to come visit us at our headquarters in
Zephyrhills, Florida or to visit any of our franchisees' stores
nationwide.
How am I expected to pay the $15,000?
You are welcome to pay by credit card,
cash or check, whichever is most convenient for you. You may pay for your point of sale system with a
credit card or a check when you sign up as a franchisee.
Can I get a refund?
Once we receive your initial franchise fee you are supplied with a
large amount of proprietary information that we have taken several
years to develop. For this reason once you have signed your
franchise documents you are bound to the non-competition agreements
until the end of the term. Should you decide that you would like to
sell your franchise, we are always happy to help in finding a suitable
buyer. This is also necessary due to the fact that we provide you with a
protected territory as soon as we receive your franchise agreement, and
as a result, we turn away any other parties who are interested in your location.
How long does my initial licensing fee
last?
Unlike most franchise license terms which typically expire after 10 years, our term is valid for 15 years. Should this policy change in the future,
all current stores will remain under the policy in effect when they
opened. There is no charge to renew your franchise for an additional
15 years.
What is included in the Goin' Postal set-up package?
With our initial set up package we will hold your hand through every
step of setting up your business, including:
-
License to use the Goin’ Postal name
and corporate identity.
You will be licensed to use the Goin' Postal trademarks and the
corporate identity.
-
Location assistance: We ask that you
send photos and descriptions of several locations that you are
interested in pursuing as potential sites for your store. Be
sure to include information about square footage, parking,
traffic patterns, and nearby businesses. We will help you to
choose the best one, but the final decision will be up to you.
-
Licenses & Permitting assistance: We
know what you need in general, plus we’ll help you find out what
you need to best serve the customers in your neighborhood.
-
Equipment purchasing and training: We know what you need, and
we’ll teach you how to use it!
-
Store Layout, design and
construction consultation: We know what works and what doesn’t.
-
Training, training, and more
training. Part of the set-up package is our intensive training
program at our Shipping Store University. You will visit
our headquarters and main store in Florida, and will train in
both a classroom environment, and then by serving customers
alongside us. We will teach you EVERYTHING in one week from
network set-up to customer service to processing packages, and
more. When you are ready to open your Goin’ Postal store you
will also have one of our representatives on-site to do
refresher training, to assist you in serving your customers, and
to help with your store set-up.
-
Computer system design and training:
Shipping is all about computers and software. Our techs are
superb and very helpful.
Store management training: Anyone can open a store, but staying
in business is another thing. We'll be here for you!
-
Partially customized website: While
your store will be listed on www.goinpostal.com, you will also
have the option of having Goin' Postal Franchise corporation set
up and maintain for you your own website at your own domain
name such as www.goinpostalnewyork.com or at a sub-domain such
as newyork.goinpostal.com that will be personalized with your
services and photos of your staff and location. (All websites
and advertising materials must be approved by Goin' Postal
Headquarters prior to release. This is for quality control
purposes.)
-
Phone support for your business. We
will never leave you out on your own. We are here to help.
-
The GP Store Set-Up Manual and New
Franchisee Primer is our very own useful step-by-step guidebook
that will help you to navigate the waters of setting up your
store and learning the ropes
Our Operations Manual is an invaluable collection of guidelines
and training information that covers the operation of your
entire business We will keep your manual up-to-date as we
improve upon it by making it available on the owners' section of
the website.
What type of training will I get?
Our training will cover both the business and practical sides of
owning and operating your own shipping store. You will also get a
priority toll free number to call when you have any questions.
You will do a week of mandatory training at our headquarters in
Zephyrhills. You will pay for your own lodging, transportation, and
meals during that time. We then send a representative to your store to
help you put the finishing touches on your shop, to do a little
refresher training if you feel that you might like some, and to open
your doors with you for the first few days. You will be
responsible for the representative's lodging, meal allowances and
transportation, but our representatives travel in the least expensive
manner possible and only utilize economy transport and economy
lodging. We want you to get started for the least amount of
money possible, so that you can see a return on your investment as
quickly as possible! We are all about saving you money, and
helping you to make money We have had many carrier
representatives remark that we have the best-trained franchisees, and we're
very proud of that standard of excellence!
Ready to move
forward?
Contact call 1-800-504-6040 or download our Franchise Disclosure
Document?
The training you will get will include:
-
QuickBooks Pro
-
Computer Setup, configuration, and initial
problem diagnosis
-
Customer Service
-
Point Of Sale Training
-
Proper Packaging as Outlined by Each of
the Carriers
-
Calculation of Shipping Rates Based on
Dimensions, Destination Zip codes and Weights
-
Freight Truck Booking
-
Packaging & Box Making
-
Business Expansion & Idea Building
What about continuing education?
We provide a wealth of continuing education materials on the Owners'
Section of the website. These c.e. materials include quizzes and
tests and exams, answer keys, fun crosswords and word searches and
other items, and we are always updating the existing materials AND
adding new materials. The c.e. materials will soon include video
tutorials as well. We also revise the GP manuals often, and the
updates are available to all franchisees, 24 hours a day via the
restricted Owners' Section. Franchisees are encouraged to utilize
these materials themselves, and to use them to train their employees. GPFC also provides a standing offer for any franchisee to return to
training in Florida, at no cost (the franchisee pays his/her own
travel expenses, lodging, meals, etc.) for the duration of the
contract term. GPFC also updates its comprehensive Operations
Manual weekly, sends out all-franchisee email newsletters that contain
valuable updates, notices and tidbits of information, and encourages
the franchisees to stay informed by visiting the carriers' websites on
a regular basis in order to stay up-to-date with the latest rules,
regulations, and developments in the shipping industry. As of July
2006 we have introduced a Continuing Education Certificate program
to our curriculum in order to give special recognition to those store
owners in the chain who are going above and beyond the regular
requirements in order to maintain the high level of excellence and
proficiency that Goin' Postal expects of all its stores.
How long will it take for me to
get up and running?
That really depends on you. If you
are truly earnest about starting your business, you could be up and
running quite quickly. You must have the FDD for at least 14 days
prior to sending in your payment, there are 5 days of mandatory
training at our headquarters, and then we can have a representative go
to your store for an additional week of assistance and training while
you open your doors. Keep in mind that booking your training in
Florida is contingent upon available training slots, as classes are
limited to 10 students per week, and
training slots are booked on a first come-first served basis (with
those franchisees who send in payment and FDD first getting "first
dibs" on the training slots of their choice, when available).
*Remember, of course, that you will already need to have secured a
location for your store and have the equipment on your premises prior to our
representative's arrival at your location.
Can I sell other services in my store?
Yes. While we expect all stores to offer the minimum set of services,
we encourage enterprising ideas and will happily add services that you invent,
or find to be positive, to the corporate line-up. All services must be
cleared with Goin’ Postal Corporate Headquarters prior to being offered.
This is to ensure that all services provided by shops bearing the Goin’ Postal name offer only the highest quality services
and products from reputable vendors.
Some of the services
we have approved in the past are:
-
Mailbox Rentals
-
Web Design
-
Business Cards and Literature Design
-
Freight Services
-
Utility Payments
-
Local Deliveries and Pick-Up
-
Copies
-
Fax
-
Lamination
-
Internet Access/Computer Terminals for
Customers
-
ATM
-
Notary
-
Passport Photos and OVERNIGHT applications
-
Office Supplies
-
Internet Access
-
Key Duplication
-
Print Services
Community Involvement is VERY important
to us.
In keeping with our strong commitment to family oriented service and
superior customer care, Goin’ Postal strongly encourages community
involvement. Whether it’s joining the chamber of commerce, the local
Kiwanis, organizing a community clean-up, speaking to the local
Girl Scouts, volunteering to read to the blind, sponsoring a Little
League or Police Athletic League team, walking dogs at a local
shelter, having Santa in your
store at Christmas, or doing whatever you like, please be sure to give some of your time and
positive energy to
your community. We personally spend A LOT of time involving our
staff and ourselves in community events. It's fun, good for your community, and
good for your business! Spending a few hours a week helping out
will make you more successful than spending $5,000 per month on
advertising.
If you do things for your community, not
only will it be a nicer place to live, but you will also get noticed
for your participation...and the folks in your area will want to see
you succeed. This is true in both small towns and in big cities.
Positive energy breeds success. The restricted Owners' Section of the website features detailed materials
for planning, advertising and conducting well over 100 effective,
unique and unusual events and promotions on a budget.
Are there any other services that you
recommend I offer in my store?
-
eBay Authorized Trading Assistant.
While this line of business is rapidly becoming a large enterprise on
its own, it is a perfect fit with the shipping store business and
enables you to increase your gross annual revenue, and more
importantly, your shipping volume discounts by the main carriers.
-
Mobile shipping store: A
completely mobile part of your shipping business. We have had
phenomenal success with this service, particularly as it goes into
mobile home parks and other areas that might never have heard of Goin’
Postal. We also run the roads all day long while serving various
housing developments and businesses, which means that the superb
graphics on the side of the van are advertising for us the entire time
and are drawing in more and more customers to both the physical
location and to the mobile shipping store!
-
Photographic Stand-Ups: This is a
product that we are currently having massive success with and we are one of
only a handful of companies in the entire USA that is offering it.
What is the Mobile Shipping Store?
Our mobile shipping store is a service that we devised to further our
business territory without the added expense of leasing more real
estate and overhead. The mobile shipping store is completely fitted
out with 120v electricity, computers, scales and provides all of the
services that are available at the main store. (It is necessary to
have a physical store and not just a mobile store, as the physical
store makes customers feel comfortable in knowing that you are not a
fly-by-night business.) The mobile shipping store visits mobile home parks,
businesses, and housing developments at scheduled times each week so
that people can take care of their shipping, mail, and stamp needs in
a place that is convenient for them. As well as the added gross
revenue generated by the service, the mobile shipping store advertises Goin’ Postal wherever it goes (be sure to be a courteous driver!) and
it has the added benefit of making it easy for customers to patronize
Goin’ Postal, as opposed to giving their cash to a competitor’s
shipping store. Please remember that all services must first be
cleared with the Goin’ Postal Corporate Headquarters.
Ready to move
forward?
Contact call 1-800-504-6040 or download our Franchise Disclosure
Document?
What are our plans for the future?
-
Our own GP Rate Pro software is
constantly being developed to streamline and improve the shipping business. This
is available to all Goin' Postal stores.
-
Rapid expansion of the chain, building
additional equity for current store owners.
-
New services and businesses under the
Goin’ Postal brand.
-
Co-op advertising.
-
Increased buying power for both shipping
services, packaging and office supplies.
-
Future expansion plans that no other
shipping store currently has, or will be able to compete with.
-
Inter-store company operated shipping.
What about advertising?
Instead of charging everyone a 2 - 3% co-op advertising fund like the
majority of franchises and spending the money on massive national,
regional and local campaigns that may not help the individual store
owner directly, We will personally cover the cost of
producing TV and radio ads which will
be available to all store owners free of charge to run in their own
markets at their own discretion. Generally when you take a look at
most franchises and their their ad funds, they do very little to
promote an individual store so we prefer to leave the money in your
pocket and let you spend it the way you feel is right for your
situation.
As
part of our business history, we operated a full-service advertising
agency which catered to a multitude of international clients. We have
carried over this experience to be able to control our own advertising
look and feel for Goin' Postal, and have done so with a very small
budget.
All advertising materials will be
available to you free of charge via the website where you can download print ad
templates,
business card templates, postcard layouts, flyer layouts, etc. (which you can
then pay your local newspapers to run or you can Xerox copies of), and
in the future, TV and radio commercials will also be available.
Starting a business is all about legwork
to promote your business, not throwing money at advertising companies. While TV, print, and radio advertising is a
great way to promote your business, a more cost-effective method is
distributing flyers at events and parking lots (with permission, of
course!), and even better than that...is making certain that you are
an active member of your community, and doing creative and inexpensive
celebrations and promotions at your store. We also teach our
franchisees that the very best advertisement in the world is free…a
happy customer. Treat all of your customers like gold, and you will be
amazed at how many referrals you will receive. We are thrilled
and proud to say that THIS is what built our business to the level it
is at today.
Can I use the Goin’ Postal name and
logo without buying into the Goin’ Postal organization?
No. To run a Goin’ Postal store you must
purchase the Goin’ Postal franchise rights from our organization.
What do I have to do to keep my
franchise rights to operate a Goin’ Postal store?
You must abide by our general corporate rules, pricing, maintain a
polished and clean corporate appearance, provide good customer
service, operate with ethical business
practices, and remain current in paying all fees and royalties when they are due.
Our policies appear in the FDD.
Can my franchise rights to operate a
Goin’ Postal store be revoked?
Yes. While you own the rights to operate a Goin’ Postal franchise in
the location you originally opened, under extreme circumstances we may
revoke your right to operate under our corporate name. We are working
to build a large, nationally recognized and respected chain and will
help you in any way we can to run your business in a manner acceptable
to our polices that are all detailed in the franchise agreement.
What would I have to do, to have my
franchise rights to operate a Goin’ Postal store revoked?
Unethical business practices, price gouging or continued poor customer
service resulting in formal complaints, offering inappropriate,
unapproved or low-quality products and services, or failure to pay
fees are some of the
grounds for revocation of your rights to operate as a Goin’ Postal.
Our full policies appear in the FDD.
Will I get a warning before my
franchise rights to operate a Goin’ Postal store are revoked?
Usually, except in extreme circumstances. Our full policies appear in the
FDD.
Can I move my store?
Yes as long as the move is consistent with the terms of the Franchise
Agreement. Your franchise rights belong to you in combination with the
initial store for which they were granted. Should you decide to move
your store, the rights move with it. However, you may not move your
store into the protected territory of another Goin’ Postal store
unless it is your own territory. This is to protect you and other
Goin’ Postal store owners so that you
can make the most profit possible. We want you to succeed, and this is
one way to help ensure your financial success. We do not want the
situation that can be seen with most large franchises where their
franchisees invest their time and money in a location only to have
that hard work destroyed by the parent company when it sells a
franchise to someone else 500 yards down the road and allows the two
stores to cannibalize each other. Goin' Postal assigns
territories to its franchisees to protect them and in an attempt to
help each and every Goin' Postal franchisee to make the best of the
available business.
Can I sell my Goin’ Postal store?
Yes, again as long as the transfer is consistent with the terms of the
Franchise Agreement and the transfer fee is paid. The franchise rights to operate a Goin’ Postal store go with the
individual store, which you may sell at any time, either to the
franchisor or to an individual investor. However, the Goin’ Postal Corporate
Office must be notified that your store may be changing hand and we
will contact the new owner of your store to advise him/her of the
rules and regulations that must be abided by in order to remain a
Goin’ Postal store and to arrange for the correct documents to be
signed for us to approve the transfer.
Can I sell my franchise but keep
a shipping store?
No. Your franchise rights apply to the store for which they were
granted and you will sign a non-competition agreement agreeing that
any shipping stores you own or are involved in will be part of the
chain. A non-competition agreement is standard with any
franchise to prevent someone from taking their new training and
starting a competing chain.
Can I open more than one Goin’ Postal
store?
Yes, and this is what we recommend and are working toward. However, we
recommend opening one store and becoming proficient at the business (thus building a good, solid reputation for yourself), and
then opening additional stores. To open additional stores, a
franchisee fee must be paid for each new location.
Ready to move
forward?
Contact call 1-800-504-6040 or download our Franchise Disclosure
Document?
\
What about territory?
Once you open a Goin’ Postal store, we will not allow anyone else to
open a Goin' Postal store in your protected area. Should you wish to
open additional Goin' Postal stores in your protected area, we will expand your
territory as long as it does not interfere with another Goin‘ Postal
store owner's protected territory. We will also not open any stores
owned by the Goin’ Postal Franchise Corporation in your territory,
further protecting you and your Goin' Postal store(s) from competition.
You must, however, supply us with an exact location/physical address
for your store so that we can create a territory map for you, with
your store as the epicenter of your protected territory.
Important Note: A protected territory doesn't exist unless and until
you send in a fully executed contract, the correct payments, exact physical address (so that
we can make a map with your store as the epicenter), and accompanying
payments are received by GPFC AND approved in writing by GPFC.
How big is a protected territory?
The size of Goin' Postal's protected territories varies due to the
demographics of the various communities across our nation. For
example, we wouldn't assign a territory of 25 square miles if a
franchisee wants to have his Goin' Postal in Midtown Manhattan (New
York City), but that might be a reasonable request from a franchisee
who wants to have a Goin' Postal store in a small town in rural
Texas. You can help us to assign you the best territory for your area
by supplying us with facts about your community, such as the
population, zip codes in your area, the number of retail venues and
types of commercial industry in your area, traffic patterns,
population, etc.
This information will also help you to select your location for your
store. If your desired areas are outside of a current franchisee's
protected area, we can assign a territory to you, should you wish to
become a Goin' Postal franchisee. Please take a look at the territory
section of the Franchise Agreement.
What other benefits do I get?
Access to industry leading vendors and
suppliers: We are always
working closely with the biggest names in the country to bring great
deals to our franchisees.
Support from our management team & experienced representatives:
If you have a problem, we’ll try to help you solve it, whether it is
interim financing, or how to fire a member of staff without getting
sued. All of our representatives have spent close to a year each
actually working in a Goin' Postal store to get the experience
necessary to help you with your issues.
Group Health Insurance: As our
numbers grow we will be able to negotiate better rates for our
independent owners and their staff.
How much is it again?
$15,000 is the franchise fee for a Goin' Postal. $7,500 is the cost of
the two Point of Sale systems.
Then you can choose how much you want to spend on your equipment,
supplies and rent.
Our company is based on a family-type attitude where we like to get to
know our franchisees, as our success depends upon their success. Our
chain is made up of small family-owned stores. We base our business
model on an idea different from many of the franchises available. We
help you to get established with a total investment of between $48,784
and $96,284. We think our method is wiser as we let the business pay
for its own expansion instead of throwing $200,000+ into a single
store just to get the doors open (like some of our competitors). You
can obviously spend more on your equipment and supplies if you choose
to do so, but we will help you to save as much money as we possibly
can by helping you to set up your store, and by sharing our
money-saving tips with you. Feel free to contact a couple of our
franchisees to see how they are getting on, and how happy they are
with the way that we do business. Again, you could add a substantial
amount to your build-out costs by using a contractor, so we recommend
doing as much as you can by yourself (if allowed in your
jurisdiction).
I already have a POS. Do I need to get
one from GPFC anyway? Do I need more than one?
Yes. Every Goin' Postal store operates using POS systems that are put
together by GPFC and are configured to calculate shipping rates from
your specific zip code to all other zip codes possible. These POS
systems also include the exact item numbers for each and every service
and product that is sold in our stores nationwide. The POS also
contains our proprietary software and all of the required software
applications that GPFC mandates that Goin' Postal stores use. This is
a quality control measure that ensures that all Goin' Postal stores
operate within the same approved parameters, and this is also to your
benefit should you need tech support.
How should I incorporate? As a C Corp.,
S Corp., LLC, or what?
That is a question that should be posed to both your accountant
and your attorney. They will help you to make the best decision for
your needs and situation. When you do decide to incorporate, please
know that Goin' Postal MAY NOT appear anywhere in your incorporated
name, as that name is owned by Goin' Postal Franchise Corporation.
What makes Goin' Postal different than
the other shipping franchises?
There are a lot of differences between Goin' Postal and "the
others." Many are stated above, but to reiterate a few of the high
points:
-
LOW INITIAL INVESTMENT to have a great
franchise with a catchy name, an excellent foundation, and a great
reputation is just a bargain!.
-
Excellent Customer Care. We help you every
step of the way, PLUS we help you to prepare your store for opening,
we are with you when you open your doors for the first time, we help
you after your store is open, we provide continuing education for you
and your staff, AND you can return to our headquarters in Zephyrhills
for "refresher training" at no additional charge.
-
WIDE Variety Services you can offer. We
allow you to offer FedEx, and U.S. Mail services...PLUS you can offer
office related services such as copying, faxing, etc. We also allow
you to offer other services, so long as the products and services that
you offer are of top-drawer quality and are approved by Goin' Postal
Headquarters.
-
Continued Support for the Term of the
Contract. Most other franchises leave you "high and dry" after your
training period. We DON'T do that because we want to be there for you,
and we want you to succeed so that the entire chain of Goin' Postal
stores has a stellar reputation!
If you're on board with that ,and if you
are seriously considering becoming a Goin' Postal, please email us to
request a copy of the FDD (Federal Disclosure Document) today.
Please understand that the FTC requires
that you MUST have the FDD in your possession for a minimum of
FOURTEEN CALENDAR DAYS before we can accept any sort of payment from you.
This is for your own protection so that you don't rush into a business
arrangement without giving it full and careful consideration. We also
advise all potential franchisees to print out and read the FDD and the
information that is available on our website, and to bring those
printouts to your attorney and to your accountant, as these two
individuals should have your best interest at heart and will help you
to make the best, most educated business decisions for your particular
needs.
If you're REALLY serious after 14 DAYS of
reading and reviewing the FDD, consulting with your attorney and
accountant, and doing the above homework:
Contact us and we will assist you with
filling out your contract. Email info@goinpostal.com or call us at
813-782-1500. Even if you are sure you have your contract filled out
correctly, give us a call just to make sure as it saves us
occasionally sending them back for corrections.
Send in your contract (FDD that is initialed on each page, signed in
the appropriate areas, and has your store location and other required
information) along with your initial franchise fee payment of $15,000
plus $7,500 for two Point of Sale Systems, and $1,784 for the Minimum
Required Purchases (total $24,284), to Goin' Postal Headquarters
ATTENTION: New Franchises, 4941 4th Street in Zephyrhills, Florida
33542.
Then the next steps will be to:
-
Find your location for your store (unless
you are a turn-key in which case we will find it) and have it approved
by GPFC.
-
Use the training date booking form located
on the restricted Owners' Section and contact Megan at training@goinpostal.com
She will set up your training dates and will be your point of contact
from this point forward. After you and Megan decide upon your training
dates, you should book your flights, car rental, hotel, etc. Should
you need to change your training dates, please be aware that you may
be inconveniencing other store owners who may have had to select
another week to accommodate you, and may otherwise have been able to
train during the slot that you initially requested. For this reason,
we ask that you only book your training slot when you are 100% certain
that you can attend the week that you have requested. Should you need
to change your training date, a monetary penalty will be charged
(unless due to a death in the family or a medical condition; proof of
which must be provided to headquarters). Please also understand that
if you need to change your training slot after you book it, you will
then be placed at the back of the line for training slots, as training
slots are filled very quickly and on a first-come, first-served
basis...not to mention that the training schedule may be booked solid
for several weeks or even months. This will in turn delay your store's
opening, so to avoid disappointment and delay, be sure that you can
attend the week that you have requested at the time when you book your
training slot.
-
Advise us of your target opening date via
email and by using the appropriate booking form (also available on the
restricted Owners' Section) so that we can book transportation and
lodging for the representative who will travel to you location for
your set-up, refresher training, and to help you open your doors and
serve your customers during your first few days. Once the rep.'s
travel arrangements have been booked, your opening date is carved in
stone. (It is important to understand that ALL training date and
opening date questions and concerns be emailed to Megan, as we require
documentation of all requests and correspondences for all reasons,
especially those related to training and opening.)
-
Obtain your occupational license, do your
incorporation (if you need help with incorporation, contact Biz
Filings and they will do it quickly and inexpensively), obtain your
federal tax i.d. number, etc. (We have a manual to help you with all
of this.) If you are doing the Turn-Key Build-Out, then we will do all
of these things FOR you.
-
Read the comprehensive "Store Set-Up
Manual & New Franchisee Primer" (available ONLY to franchisees on the
password protected Owners' Section), take your entrance exams (which
will be emailed to you once your payment is processed), and begin to
set up your accounts and your location by using the easy step-by-step
directions that appear in the "SSM & NFP."
Ready to move
forward?
Contact call 1-800-504-6040 or download our Franchise Disclosure
Document?
What about setting
up my store?
